Through holes are preformed in a ceramic sheet to form recessed portions at corners or side ends of a package 2 used for a solid-state image device. The package is positioned by allowing projections 52, 53, and 54 of a positioning jig 51 to come into contact with end faces 5 and 6 in the recessed portions along their shapes. The accuracy in combining a solid-state image element and a lens block is improved by using a method of positioning a package in which burrs caused when the package is produced by dividing a ceramic baked product do not affect the accuracy.
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1. A solid-state image device, comprising a solid-state image element and a package that is formed by laminating at least two ceramic sheets and has a retangular outer shape when being seen from an upper surface side of the package, the package including a member for patterning, on a surface of which a conductor pattern for transmitting signals from the solid-state image element is formed,
wherein the package has first side ends at which no outer lead is formed and second side ends at which outer leads are formed,
at least one corner of the package has a recessed portion having an “L” shape when being seen from the upper surface side, and each of the first side ends of the package has a recessed portion having a “U” shape when being seen from the upper surface side,
the recessed portion having an “L” shape and the recessed portion having a “U” shape are defined respectively by end faces including reference and faces having a linear shape when being seen from the upper surface side, and
the reference end face in the recessed portion having an “L” shape is parallel to the second side ends, the reference end face in the recessed portion having a “U” shape is parallel to the first side ends.
2. The solid-state image device according to
3. A camera comprising:
a solid-state image device according to
a lens block that has projections coming into contact respectively with the reference end face in the recessed portion having an “L” shape and the reference end face in the recessed portion having a “U” shape along their shapes and a lens focusing external light onto the solid-state image element included in the solid-state image device,
wherein the solid-state image device and the lens block are positioned with the projections being in contact with the reference end faces along their shapes.
4. A camera comprising:
a solid-state image device according to
a lens block that has projections coming into contact respectively with the reference end face in the recessed portion having an “L” shape and the reference end face in the recessed portion having a “U” shape along their shapes and a lens focusing external light onto the solid-state image element included in the solid-state image device,
wherein the solid-state image device and the lens block are positioned with the projections being in contact with the reference end faces along their shapes.
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The present invention relates to a solid-state image device and a camera using the same and also-relates to a method of manufacturing the solid-state image device. Particularly, the present invention relates to the improvement in accuracy in positioning a solid-state image element and a lens block.
A solid-state image element with a photoelectric conversion function is fixed to a package with a preformed wiring, which is used as a solid-state image device. Generally, the package is produced using a ceramic sheet. As an example, a method of producing a package using three ceramic sheets is described as follows.
As shown in
As a next step, the three ceramic sheets are laminated with the parting lines of the respective sheets coinciding with respect to the lamination direction. As shown in
In a camera using a solid-state image device, it is important for securing optical characteristics to position a lens block and a solid-state image element at predetermined locations and then to fix them. The reason is that when an optical axis of a lens and a (design) optical axis of the solid-state image element do not coincide with each other, the characteristics deteriorate due to shading caused by unevenness in sensitivity or the like. Usually, the lens block is positioned with reference to a package of the solid-state image device. Therefore, accurate positioning of the package is required in both the cases of mounting the solid-state image element and positioning the lens block.
Conventionally, the positioning of the package has been carried out by, for example, the method illustrated in FIG. 16. In this method, a package 102 is positioned by being pressed against an L-shaped positioning jig 151. In this case, the package 102 is positioned with reference to the whole side ends 103 and 104 adjacent to each other via a corner. In this state, a solid-state image element 101 is fixed. Further, the package also is positioned by being pressed against a lens block with an L-shaped fixing portion similar to the above-mentioned positioning jig, and then the solid-state image device and the lens block are positioned with respect to each other.
JP 10-326886 A discloses a solid-state image device with a package 132 in which a substantially V-shaped pilot portion 135 and a substantially U-shaped guide portion 136 are formed as positioning notches as shown in
As described above, packages for solid-state image devices are produced by dividing a ceramic baked product. Therefore, it is difficult to cut and divide the ceramic baked product accurately along parting lines, and as shown in
In the positioning method using the positioning pins as shown in
The present invention is intended to provide solid-state image devices using a package that can be positioned accurately even when being reduced in size. The present invention also intended to provide a camera using a solid-state image device in which a solid-state image element and a lens block are positioned accurately. Furthermore, the present invention is intended to provide methods of manufacturing the solid-state image devices.
In order-to-achieve the above-mentioned objects, a first solid-state image device of the present invention includes a package with at least one corner having a recessed portion. The recessed portion is defined by an end face including at least two linear portions observed when being seen from the upper surface side of the package.
A second solid-state image device of the present invention includes a package having at least two recessed portions that are formed at least at one selected from two adjacent side ends of the package. The at least two recessed portions are defined by an end face including linear portions observed when being seen from the upper surface side of the package.
These solid-state image devices can be positioned accurately even when their sizes are reduced. In the present specification, the upper surface of a package denotes the surface to which a solid-state image element is fixed.
In the second solid-state image device, it is preferable that the linear portions are substantially parallel to either of two adjacent side ends, respectively.
It also is preferable that each of the packages mentioned above includes a member for patterning, on the surface of which a conductor pattern for transmitting signals from a solid-state image element is formed, and a frame member that has an opening surrounding the solid-state image element and is positioned above the member for patterning, and the linear portions, in the recessed portion or recessed portions, observed when being seen from the upper surface side of the package are formed of the member for patterning. The above-mentioned both members may be combined to form one body by baking or the like.
A first method of manufacturing a solid-state image device according to the present invention includes: forming at least two through holes in a ceramic green sheet; baking the ceramic green sheet to obtain a ceramic baked product; and dividing the ceramic baked product so that in a package, at least two recessed portions are formed from the at least two through holes, thus obtaining the package. The at least two through holes are positioned so that the recessed portions are formed at least at one selected from two adjacent side ends of the package. The at least two through holes are formed to have shapes surrounded by end faces including linear portions observed when being seen from the upper surface side of the package, thus forming linear portions on the end faces defining the at least two recessed portions.
In the first manufacturing method, a plurality of packages with substantially the same shape may be obtained by dividing the ceramic baked product. The first manufacturing method further may include a step of forming a laminate formed of at least two ceramic green sheets in which through holes are preformed.
A second method of manufacturing a solid-state image device of the present invention includes: preparing at least two ceramic green sheets and forming, in the sheets, through holes with substantially rectangular shapes on virtual parting lines arranged in a reticulated form on the sheets observed when being seen from the upper surface side of the sheets, with vertices of the substantially rectangular shapes not positioned on the virtual parting lines; laminating the ceramic green sheets with the virtual parting lines substantially coinciding in their lamination direction to form a laminate; baking the laminate to obtain a ceramic baked product; dividing the ceramic baked product along the virtual parting lines to obtain a plurality of packages having recessed portions formed from the through holes.
In the second manufacturing method, it is preferable that the through holes with substantially rectangular shapes are formed at intersections of the virtual parting lines with vertices of the substantially rectangular shapes not positioned on the virtual parting lines.
A third method of manufacturing a solid-state image device according to the present invention is characterized in that a package with first and second end faces formed by removing a portion at least at one selected from two adjacent side ends is positioned, using a positioning jig provided with first and second projections coming into contact with the first and second end faces along their shapes respectively, with the first and second projections being brought into contact with the first and second end faces along their shapes respectively, and in this state, a solid-state image element is fixed to the package. In this case, it is preferable that when the package is seen from its upper surface side, the contact faces between the first and second end faces and the first and second projections are formed substantially in at least one selected from a linear shape and an arc shape.
The first and second end faces may be formed in a single recessed portion or in at least two recessed portions at least at one of adjacent side ends.
A camera using the first solid-state image device of the present invention includes either of the above mentioned solid-state image devices of the present invention and a lens block. The lens block includes projections coming into contact with the linear portions respectively, which are observed when the solid-state image device is seen from the upper surface side, in the recessed portion or recessed portions along their shapes, and a lens focusing external light onto a solid-state image element included in the solid-state image device. The solid-state image device and the lens block are positioned with the projections being in contact with the linear portions along their shapes, respectively.
Preferable embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the drawings as follows.
With reference to
In the first ceramic green sheet 11 to be the top layer and the second ceramic green sheet 12 to be an intermediate layer, openings 14 and 15 are punched for positioning solid-state image elements inside the openings, respectively. The openings 15 in the second sheet 12 are formed so as to have substantially the same shape after baking as the external shape of solid-state image elements to be used (i.e. so as to have a slightly larger shape than the external shape of the elements to allow for clearances to be produced when the elements are fixed). On the other hand, the openings 14 formed in the first sheet 11 are formed to be slightly larger than the openings 15 so that conductor patterns 16 formed on the surface of the second sheet are exposed.
In the first and second sheets 11 and 12 and the third ceramic green sheet 13 to be the bottom layer, through holes are formed along parting lines 24, 25, and 26 arranged in a reticulated form in the respective sheets so as to have predetermined shapes and patterns. The parting lines 24, 25, and 26 are illustrated for convenience in explanation, but indicate virtual patterns, which do not appear actually.
Through holes 18, 20, and 22 for forming outer leads in packages may have circular cross sections as in a conventional package. These through holes 18, 20, and 22 are formed to be aligned in one direction (in a horizontal direction in the figure) on the virtual lines.
At intersections in the reticulated parting lines 24, 25, and 26, through holes 17, 19, and 21 having rectangular shapes are formed. The through holes 17, 19, and 21 are positioned with the parting lines passing through middle points of long and short sides of the rectangular shapes. In addition, through holes 31, 32, and 33 with rectangular shapes also are formed on the parting lines between the intersections. The through holes 31, 32, and 33 are aligned in one direction (in a vertical direction in the figure) on the virtual lines with the parting lines passing through middle points of opposed sides. The above-mentioned through holes are formed by being punched in the sheets using molds with predetermined shapes.
The respective through holes 17, 19, 21, 31, 32, and 33 may not necessarily have the same size even when being formed in positions corresponding to one another. A preferable relationship in the size of the respective holes is described later.
After completion of predetermined steps of, for example, forming printed circuits 16 by printing a conductive paste on the surface of the second sheet 12, the first to third sheets 11, 12, and 13 are laminated with the parting lines 24, 25, and 26 of the respective sheets coinciding in the lamination direction. A laminate thus obtained is provided with cuts along the parting lines and then is baked as described in the above with reference to FIG. 14. The ceramic laminate thus baked is divided into individual pieces along the respective parting lines utilizing the cuts, thus producing a plurality of ceramic packages having the same shape.
The above description was directed to the method of producing packages using three ceramic green sheets. However, the present invention is not limited to this and also can be applied to production of packages using two or less or four or more sheets.
In the above, the first ceramic green sheet 11 serves as a frame member surrounding solid-state image elements, the second ceramic green sheet 12 as a member for patterning on which conductor patterns are formed for transmitting light-receiving signals from the solid-state image elements to the outside, and the third ceramic green sheet 13 as a base member providing the surfaces to which the solid-state image elements are fixed. When packages are produced using, for example, two sheets, however, solid-state image elements may be fixed to the members for patterning, thus allowing the members for patterning to also serve as the base members. Furthermore, when packages are produced using only one sheet, a ceramic sheet serving as both the member for patterning and the base member may be produced and a resin frame with a smaller external shape than that of the ceramic sheet may be fixed to the surface of the ceramic sheet to serve as the frame members.
The end faces in the notches 3 and 4 were produced when the through holes were formed in the ceramic green sheets and not when the ceramic baked product was divided. Therefore, the notches 3 and 4 have no “burr”, and thus a metrication error due to unstability in dividing the baked product is eliminated.
As is apparent from the front view (
At the long side ends of the package, notches with a semicircular shape observed when being seen from the upper surface side of the package and outer leads 7 are formed as in a conventional package. In order to secure spaces for forming the outer leads, it is preferable that the notches 3 and 4 used for the positioning of the package with respect to the external member are provided at the short side ends or corners of the package.
Next, a method of fixing the solid-state image element 1 to the package 2 is described with reference to FIG. 3.
The package 2 is positioned by being pressed against a positioning jig 51 that is provided with positioning projections 52, 53, and 54 and is placed in a predetermined location. As shown in
In the embodiment of positioning the package shown in
The positioning by the above-mentioned method is different from that using two pins positioned upright in a jig and can be carried out by a very simple movement of the package. The package is required only to be moved in the direction 55, allowing the package to move in both the directions H and V to be brought into contact with the positioning jig; As shown in
As described above, at least two end faces observed as straight lines when being seen from the upper surface side are prepared in the notches of the package for a solid-state image device of the present invention. This package is positioned with at least its two faces being along the projections of the positioning jig and therefore the rotation movement of the package is prevented. Thus, the package is positioned accurately.
Preferably, the positioning jig is provided with projections that have linear portions coming into contact with the linear portions, which are observed when the package is seen from the upper surface side, of the notches along their shapes and project so that the side ends of the package other than those in the notches do not come into contact with the positioning jig. The number of the projections is not particularly limited. However, it is preferable that a projection is provided with at least two linear portions coming into contact with the notches of the package.
In addition, it is preferable that at least two contact faces between the package and the positioning jig are observed as linear portions substantially orthogonal to each other when being seen from the upper surface side of the package.
In the state where the package 2 thus has been positioned, the solid-state image element 1 is fixed to the concave portion on the upper surface of the package. Furthermore, predetermined steps are carried out, which include connecting inner leads (not shown in the figures) for connecting the solid-state image element 1 and the conductor pattern, sealing the element with a glass plate 8, and the like, thus manufacturing the solid-state image device shown in
The method of positioning the package in the solid-state image device according to the present invention is not limited to the above. For instance, as shown in
Similarly in this case, it is preferable that the package is positioned by an end face 45 and the end faces 47 in at least two notches 44 and 43 by also using the other projections 57 and 59 as shown in the figures. However, the package may be positioned with the reference end face 47 at the corner and the corresponding projection 58 alone. As described above, the present invention also includes the method of positioning a package using a notch at the corner alone.
Furthermore, for example, as shown in
This package also may be positioned using one notch formed at a side end of the package. In this case, for example, as shown in
Similarly in this method, as in the method using at least two notches formed at least at one of adjacent side ends, it is preferable that the contact portions between the notch and the projection of the positioning jig include a portion observed as a straight line when being seen from the upper surface side of the package.
However, the present invention is not limited to this when a package is positioned using at least two notches. For instance, the package may be positioned, as in the above, using a notch formed at a short side end to have a substantially semicircular shape when being seen from the upper surface side of the package and a notch formed at a corner to have a substantially one-fourth circular shape when being seen from the upper surface side and using a positioning jig provided with projections coming into contact with the notches along their shapes. As described above, in the positioning method according to the present invention, when at least two notches and projections of the positioning jig are brought into contact, the contact portions may have shapes not including a straight line observed when being seen from the upper surface side of the package. It is preferable that such contact portions are formed in arc shapes.
As shown in
The lens block and the solid-state image device can be positioned using notches of a package. In this method, as shown in
The positioning method of the package is the same as that described in the above except for the use of the lens block instead of the positioning jig. In this way, for example as shown in
As described above, when a solid-state image element is fixed to a package accurately and this package and a lens block are fixed accurately to each other, the misalignment between an optical axis 76 of a lens 66 gathering external light 67 and a design optical axis of the solid-state image element can be prevented.
The method of positioning the lens block and the solid-state image device is not limited to the above-mentioned method. All the methods described above as positioning methods of a package can be applied to the method of positioning the lens block and the solid-state image device. The lens block and the solid-state image device may be fixed after the lens block is positioned with respect to a positioning jig used for positioning a package. In addition, the lens block may be positioned with respect to another member (for example, a wiring board) that has been positioned together with the package using a positioning jig. The shapes of the packages used for the solid-state image devices of the present invention also can be applied to optical components such as a photoreceptor and a light-emitting device.
As described above, the present invention can provide a solid-state image device using a package in which a solid-state image element can be positioned accurately even when the size of the solid-state image device is reduced. In addition, the present invention can provide a camera using the solid-state image device in which the solid-state image device and a lens block are positioned accurately and thus the deterioration in characteristics such as shading is suppressed.
The invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof The embodiments disclosed in this application are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not limiting. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.
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